It is known to use in beverage dispensers so called bag-in-box packages to provide beverage ingredients, such as juice, juice concentrates, lemonade, lemonade concentrates, water, milk, coffee, cocoa, tea or the like. Such bag-in-box packages comprise typically an inner bag, consisting of a flexible material, such as a film compound material, which is arranged in a mechanical stable secondary packaging, e.g. of card board. The use of bag-in-box systems is advantageous, since the beverage ingredients are ideally from the filling until final use under air exclusion. Further, such systems can be produced with low costs and can be disposed and recycled easily after being used.
The beverage ingredients in the inner bag can be dispensed, depending on the desired use via different valves. For example, for the applications in domestic use, manually operable nozzles are used, which are directly applied on the bag-in-box system. For applications, which require a frequent exchange of the bag, e.g. draft dispensers, in the field of gastronomy, it is known to use membrane seals, in which the membrane is pierced by a respective pin during insertion of the bag into the draft dispenser, or a lock pin of a re-closable bag-in-box system, which lock-pin is provided in form of an axial movable pin that is biased by means of a compression spring, is constantly pressed open by means of a counter pin. For automated use, for example in beverage dispenser systems, as arranged in public spaces, such as schools or larger enterprises, electronically operable valves can be used which are controlled by suitable analog or digital control units.
A gastronomical application of a bag-in-box system, as disposable beer barrel, is described in DE 103 06 537 A1. This disposable beer barrel essentially comprises a dimensionally stable covers, in the form of a cylindrical tube, made of card board, in which a storage bag for the beer is provided. This one is sealed, as described above with a membrane seal, which is pierced with a respective pin for tapping.
A bag-in-box system for being used in automated beverage dispensers, is described in DE 36 22 777 A1. In this document, bag-in-box packages are described in form of dimensionally stable ashlers having a film bag, comprised therein, which are used for providing beverage ingredients such as water, carbonized water and beverage concentrates. Similar to the above described membrane seal, the film bag according to DE 36 22 777 A1 for being used in a beverage dispenser is closed with a film cap, which is removed for using the package within the beverage dispenser, and which is replaced by a dispensing means, which is used for the dosed dispension of beverage ingredients. This dispensing means is a complex provision, comprising a housing cap and a hollow cylinder, in which a control slider, having a ferro-magnetic anchor, is arranged. This control slider is a pipe shaped component that is supported between an open and closed position movably in the dispensing means. Between these positions, the control slider, comprising the ferro-magnetic anchor, can be moved back and forth by means of a magnetic field, generated by an electromagnet. In the closed position, the control slider seals a dispensing opening of the dispensing means, so that no beverage ingredients can exit to the outside. In this position of the slider, simultaneously a connection between the film bag and the dispensing means is open so that beverage ingredients can flow out of the film bag in a respective complex metering chamber of the dispensing means by means of gravity, until these dispensing chamber is completely filled with beverage ingredients. During moving of the slider from this position into the open position, a dispensing opening of the dispensing means is opened and simultaneously, the connection between the film bag and the dispensing means is closed. Thus, the amount of beverage ingredient measured by the volume of the metering chamber, is dispensed regulated through the dispensing opening, wherein during the dispensing process no beverage ingredient can reflow from the film bag.
A disadvantage of conventional beverage dispensers is that in particular, the corresponding relatively complex valve systems can be cleaned just under significant expense from residues of beverage ingredients. Further, the typically used hose or pipe lines are also work incentive or not at all completely to clean. Therefore, it is often only under high expenses possible to guarantee sufficient hygienic requirements and therefore, it is the object of the present invention to provide an improved beverage preparation system, which can prevent the above described hygienic problems.